Premier Wen Pledges to Create a Fairer Society

In his government work report to the opening of the National People's Congress Friday in Beijing, Premier Wen Jiabao says the central government plans to improve social equality through a fairer wealth distribution system, deal with soaring housing prices and reform the household registration system.

Li Peichun has the details:

Before nearly 3,000 NPC deputies, Premier Wen Jiabao devoted most of his keynote speech to improving social equality in the course of China's rapid economic development.

"We will not only make the 'pie' of social wealth bigger by developing the economy, but also distribute it well on the basis of a rational income distribution system."

To control the growing income gap, Wen Jiabao says the central government will gradually increase the proportion of primary distribution that goes to wages and salaries.

He says the income of executives at state-owned enterprises and financial institutions should be limited, and all illegal income should be eliminated.

China's economy grew 8.7 percent last year, while the country endeavored to recover from the global economic downturn. But real estate prices in some cities hit new highs which most citizens could not afford.

Wen Jiabao pledged the central government would allocate some 60 billion yuan, nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars, for low-income housing projects this year. That's 8 billion more than 2009.

"We will resolutely curb the soaring housing prices in some cities and satisfy the people's basic needs."

As part of the project to reverse inequalities, the Premier says China will reform its household registration system so that migrant workers from rural areas who relocate to other cities for work can receive the same welfare benefits as local residents.

He says that the government will encourage more rural citizens and migrant workers to move to towns and smaller cities, offer them city household registrations and the same welfare benefits as other residents.

"We will allow eligible workers who have left agricultural work to gradually become urban residents and develop a beautiful rural environment where farmers can live a happy life."

Wen Jiabao points out that the country has still not recovered completely from the financial crisis, calling this a "complex situation" facing the economy in 2010.

In his two-hour speech, Wen Jiabao says the government has set the GDP growth target for this year.

"Here I would like to stress that in targeting a GDP increase of around 8 percent, we are emphasizing sound development, and we need to guide all sectors to focus on transforming the pattern of economic development and restructuring the economy in their work."

The government work report has also touched on many other aspects such as subsidizing the agricultural sector, boosting technological innovation and advancing the ongoing education and healthcare reforms.

Li Peichun, CRI news.